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Over the last few months I've been worried about where QuakerQuaker is headed. Donations have covered basic hosting costs but there hasn't been enough left over for a behind-the-scenes infrastructure that's been slowly crumbling.

This afternoon, an essential part of that infrastructure collapsed. My laptop, which is my only computer at home, has died. It's five years old and has been falling apart over the last year so it's no surprise, but it will be hard to keep QuakerQuaker updated without it. But that's only a piece of the puzzle. Other equipment needs replacement and there are indirect bills I incur in part for QuakerQuaker that donations don't cover.

I also spend many hours a week on this project. At one point donations and ad revenue was starting to cover this but both have sharply dropped off. The time I spend on this could be earning money from freelance work. With four kids, there's plenty of bills. I think this community is worth the time. It's been an important forum for bridge-building and Quaker renewal organizing, but there's only so much I can subsidize it.

And even more, there's exciting stuff we're not doing because there's not a wider range of support. I've been watching Andrew Sullivan's blog, The Dish, evolve into an independent, reader-supported publication. Fascinating thoughts about the future of alternative online publishing has come out of journalism schools lately. I think QuakerQuaker could be more than it is, in a way that doesn't threaten established Quaker publications (like my day job). The support of readers is the surest way to get us there.

Over the next few weeks I want to share some of those possibilities. But in the meantime, I'm looking at about $2400 in immediate expenses. Please consider giving what you can and please join these discussions of what QuakerQuaker is and could be. Thanks!

Hi Alice: sorry, just seeing this now. You've probably seenthe update I posted around the time you left your comment. Yes, the donations have been quite generous--much more than I expected. I have a new computer here and the outstanding bills are paid off. Now it's time to look at the ongoing costs and whether there's an opportunity to put more time into the project--a steady few extra hours a week could be very beneficial though of course, it's another piece of work to do so some discernment is needed...